Stop the Hurt
by Assemble-the-Avengers
Summary: Life in the Tower as the Avengers' kids is getting increasingly difficult. Nightmares for them all are getting worse and Jamie Rogers is reverting to the way her father was before the serum and soon, family drama comes into play - as well as Loki. Betrayal and sickness threatens to tear their ever growing family apart. WARNING. CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR MY OTHER STORIES.
1. Chapter 1

**TO MAKE UP FOR THE TERRIBLY LATE G.A.G AND T.Y. UPDATES, HERE YOU GO. **

Avery Stark rolled over in her boyfriend's bed, expecting to run into his chest but instead ending up face down in the cold sheets.

_So...he'd been gone for a while_

She sighed and sat up, pushing her hair back out of her eyes. She occasionally ended up in Phillip Barton's room on nights when her nightmares got unbearable. He would open his arms within seconds of her stepping into the room. He'd start combing through her hair as he sang softly until her shaking stopped and she fell asleep again.

Avery felt a pang of guilt as she realized that he had been awake when she realized that he was still awake when she had come in last night. She should've noticed something was wrong but she was too lost in the clutches of her nightmare. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, pulling Phil's oversized tee shirt down over her shorts.

"J?" The seventeen year old called to the ceiling.

"Yes Miss Stark." The British voice replied immediately.

"Where's Phillip?" She asked as she walked towards the closed door.

"He is in the training room, ma'am." Jarvis replied. Avery frowned and bolted down the hallway, swinging around the corner. She came to the fogged glass door of the gym. She impatiently slammed her palm down on the scanner, sighing slightly in relief when it swung open. At least he hadn't locked her out.

But then she froze.

The door slid away, revealing her redheaded boyfriend collapsed to his knees in the middle of the floor.

"Phil." Avery called softly. His head snapped up instinctively and he was on his feet in the next moment.

"Hey Avie." He called steadily as he began beating the crap out of the punching bag, arms trembling slightly with exhaustion.

"How long have you been at this Phil?" Avery crossed her arms and kept her back against the glass wall.

"W'times it?" He asked as he slammed his fist into the swinging punching bag.

"6:45." She replied tiredly.

"Just go back to bed Avery." He answered his tone a mix of guilt, exhaustion, pain and fear.

"How. Long." She insisted forcefully, taking a step forward.

"Four hours." He replied reluctantly. Avery winced as he cursed out loud when his hand missed the leather surface and connected with the metal wall. He had a habit of not swearing in front of the girls

"Please Phil." She pleaded. He froze at her begging tone. Panic welled up in Avery as she watched Phil tense. He swallowed thickly as he turned to face her with glazed green eyes. She watched his expression harden before he turned quickly and started hitting the wall. "Phil!" Avery screamed, uncrossing her arms and stepping towards him. He continued to beat the unyielding wall, his body shaking, and sweat pouring down his bare back.

"Я сожалею." He said without looking at her. Avery's blood ran cold. She had learned that when Phil or Aleks or Aunt Tasha started speaking in Russian, things were bad and about to get worse. She'd heard that phrase enough times to understand.

"Why are you sorry?" She asked calmly, taking another step towards him.

"Я сожалею." He repeated brokenly, leaving his hands braced against the wall and slumping against it.

"English, мед." She murmured softly at his shoulder. He dragged in ragged, whimpering breaths. "Why are you sorry?" she asked again, resting her hand against the sweat drenched skin between his shoulder blades. His muscles jumped offensively but she kept up the pressure until tears leaked from his eyes and he slid to the floor. Avery went down to her knees, hovering over him slightly. She slid her hand along his muscled arm, lifting his bloodied and raw hand into hers.

"Phillip." She whispered helplessly. He rocked back and forth on his heels, before burying his head in her stomach, his quiet tears soaking into her shorts. She released his hand and threaded her fingers together in his head. The redhead tilted her head against her hands and breathed into his sweaty hair.

"So sorry." He whispered over and over.

"Shh Phil. You're ok. You're safe." She murmured.

"Leksi wasn't. You weren't. I couldn't save you. I didn't…I couldn't..." And suddenly the nineteen year old was hyperventilating - gasping breathlessly into her lap.

"Phil, I need you to listen." Avery said softly. But then he was gripping her shirt in painful fists, breathing slowing down until it had almost ceased completely. "Phillip James Barton, _listen to me_." She snapped, dragging him into a slightly more upright position before pulling his head against her chest. "Count my heartbeats. Out loud." She could feel his body start to go limp and knew he was starting to lose consciousness from lack of oxygen. "Now." She pressed her forehead to the top of his head.

"Adeen...dva...tree...chet..." He counted quickly.

"English." She whispered. His arms wound around her waist, pressing his forehead against her clavicle. She sighed, relaxing slightly as she felt him breathing against her chest. "Phil." She whispered, wrapping one hand around his neck and the other around his back. "I'm right here, baby. I'm safe." She murmured. "I trust you to not let anything hurt me." He tensed in her arms again. "Don't shut down on me. Please." She begged, act cracking a little. Phil forced himself to relax for her sake.

"I'm no prince, Avery." He muttered darkly.

"You're no prince." She agreed. "But you are my hero." She smiled. He shook his head, ready to protest before he just gave up and he collapsed into her body.

"I love you Avie." He whispered brokenly.

"I know you do." She sighed. "You promised to keep me safe. I trust you do the best you can." He nearly whimpered under the pressure that had settled on his shoulders. Avery rubbed her hand up and down his back. "I love you Phillip." She whispered into his hair. He pushed himself into a slightly more upright position, arms still trembling from physical exhaustion and the aftershock of his panic attack. Avery splayed her palms out on his cheeks and watched his eyes as he slowly, painfully dragged his walls into place. He left his hands fisted in the shirt she was wearing.

"I'm sorry Ave. That wasn't fair to you." He said calmly. Avery scoffed and traced his still shaking biceps to the hands that were still gripping her shirt and smiled softly.

"Not ok?" She asked quietly. He sighed and shook his head. She pulled her arms away from him and pried his hands off of her shirt, holding his bloody, battered and bruised hands in hers.

He glanced at the mangled mess he'd made of his hands and sighed shakily. Avery cradled his fists as she stood slowly, pulling him up with her. "We're going to get you cleaned up then you are going to sleep." She instructed in an authoritative tone that could rival her mothers. Phillip only nodded tiredly. Avery inhaled slowly when his emerald eyes remained glazed over, pulled his arms around her waist and kissed his bare chest. "You're ok." She repeated, whispering softly against his skin. He shivered almost unnoticeably and nodded noncommittally. She kept her steady arms around him as they made their way out of the training room, to his bedroom. "You shower. I'll be right here." She promised. He stiffened a little but then relaxed before Avery could be sure she wasn't imagining it, and nodded, kissing her cheek before grabbing a pair of sweatpants off his dresser and disappearing into the bathroom.

Avery exhaled and fell back in the bed, dry sobbing into her hands. She sat up when the lock on the bathroom door clicked, and pushed her mid-back length hair over her shoulder, standing as Phil appeared in the doorway; crimson hair dripping wet, eyes cast downward and still without a shirt. She noticed the off way he was holding his left hand and pieced if together with the sudden hatred he had seemingly developed for shirts. Phil winced as he saw the realization dawn in his girlfriend's brown eyes. "Broken?" She asked sharply. He shrugged one shoulder.

"Fractured." He countered. She swallowed and frowned at him.

"Let Uncle Bruce take a look." She begged. He shook his head.

"I can splint it." He denied quietly. She rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Sit." She ordered, moving into the bathroom and grabbing the oversized first aid kit and kneeling down in front of him she lifted his right hand and started wrapping gauze loosely around his fist. Dark patches of blood bled through the thin wrapping.

He flexed his fingers, biting his lip hard as it pulled at the torn and mangled skin.

She sighed weakly and pulled out the casting kit. "Will you take pain meds before?" She asked hopefully. His chin jerked to the side just barely; _no. _

Avery lifted his other hand carefully in one of hers, winding the gauze around his arm from his elbow to his palm. He held his breath as he watched her hands work. She glanced up at him as she picked up the flexible splint. "Deep breath." She instructed. He complied obediently and fisted his left hand as she began molding the brace against his broken bones. He gritted his teeth painfully, but for his part didn't make a sound until she manipulated the flexible plastic against an apparently particularly painful spot. He grunted and tense but didn't pull away. She whispered incoherently to him as she wrapped gauze tightly around his arm over the temporary cast. "Bruce will have to cast it." She said as she taped the edge down. He nodded and stated at her. "Phil?" She asked softly, reaching to comb through his shaggy red hair. "You're tired." She stated helplessly. He shrugged. "C'mon." She stood and hauled him up by his upper arms, leading him around the bed. She climbed in first, loosening her grip on his arms as he climbed in beside her. Avery wrapped herself around him and tucked his head into her chest.

He didn't protest; only let himself be coddled by his girlfriend. She kept her breathing steady in an attempt to keep her heartbeat even. She pulled the sheets up around them and pressed her lips to his wet hair as he held him tightly. The tremors vibrating through him slowed to a stop until he relaxed entirely, falling asleep in Avery's arms. He slept soundly under her protection with the constant reminder that she was there and alive.

It was two hours before anyone came to check on them. When someone finally did, it was Natasha.

"Phil..." The Ex-KGB turned mother began unthinkingly. The boy's mom was so used to her son being up long before even Steve. When Jarvis had told her that Phillip was in his room, she hadn't considered that he might be asleep. Avery's eyes shot open as she glared fleetingly at her aunt. Avery was on her knees, pinning Phil down with her full body weight on his chest. He shot up in any case, knocking her on her back, straddling her waist and holding his knife to her throat. Natasha remained still for fear of startling her on edge teenage son.

There were two thoughts running through Avery's head - neither of which was concerning herself. One, he was going to further damage his hand with how tightly he was gripping the knife. Two, assuming his first nightmare had been about him being unable to protect Avery, waking up holding a knife to her throat wasn't a good way to go about fixing this.

"Phillip." She called softly. "I need you to get with me, babe. Eyes on me." She continued, voice remaining miraculously steady. His eyes suddenly cleared and he dropped the knife as though it was on fire. He scrambled off of her faster than Avery thought possible and was on his knees in the bathroom, throwing up a week's worth of food before Avery was even sitting up.

She winced and started to get up but was stopped by a flippant wave from Natasha. The ex-assassin walked into the adjoined bathroom and crouched down by Phil. Avery watched as Natasha lightly touched his shoulder and in the next second, Phil was full out sobbing into his mother's shoulder as she cradled him like a child. She just rocked him back and forth on the floor of the bathroom while he lost any semblance of control. Avery could feel her own tears spill over as she watched one of the strongest men she'd ever met reduced to the child he'd never gotten to be.

The youngest redhead wrapped her arms around her knees and pulled her legs up to her chest.

Natasha wrapped her body around her nineteen year old son as he clutched her red tank top and cried. His mom rocked him back and forth like a small child and rubbed his upper arm.

"Phillip..." She murmured in his ear. "Вернись, крошка." She whispered in Russian.

"Мама." He whimpered.

"Вы все в порядке." Natasha promised. "Phil breathe." She snapped when he ignored her. "Avery..." She called when her son continued to gasp for breath. Avery shot off the bed and raced across the room into the bathroom.

Natasha nearly felt bad for having the younger girl watch her usually unnaturally strong partner like this, but he was on the verge of passing out and there were limited options.

Avery nodded and leaned towards her aunt, tilting her head against Phil's temple.

"Phillip." She breathed quietly, tearing his hands away from his mom's shirt. She held his palms to her chest and tried to slow her breathing. "Phil, match your breathing to mine. Focus on my heartbeat. I'm right here." She said helplessly. Slowly but surely he began to calm down, breathing finally leveled out, tears dried on his cheeks but still shaking. "Phil..." Avery called his name tearfully. Natasha sighed and slid her hand up his neck, pinching the nerve. Avery jumped slightly when his whole body went limp. Natasha leaned her head back against the tile wall, Phil still in her lap.

"Go get something to eat Avery. He's going to be out for a while." Natasha said. Avery shifted but didn't move to get up.

"I'm not hungry." Avery declined, eyes trained on Phil.

"Then get some sleep. You're exhausted and I know for a fact you ended up in Phil's bed last night. That's an order, Stark." Natasha demanded without looking at the seventeen year old. Avery sighed as she recognized her aunt's tone. It was the tone she used when she did not want to be argued with. Aleks spoke like that on occasion and when she did, no one dared argue with the Barton girls.

"Yes ma'am." Avery stood and trudged out the door, making her way across her boyfriend's bedroom and into the hallway. She heard Phil's door close behind her and suddenly the strength drained out of her and she slid to the floor. Her body hit the ground and she covered her face, crying into her hands.


	2. Chapter 2

"Avery?" A familiar voice asked seconds later. Her head snapped up and she blinked tearfully at her dad. Tony held his arms out to her with a sigh and she immediately reached for him. He picked up his seventeen year old like a child and carried her around the corner to the living room.  
Tony sat down on the couch, Avery straddling hiswaist. The teenagers strawberry blonde hair began to plaster to her cheeks as she cried into her dads shoulder while he just stared at the three other people in the room.  
"What's with her?" Collin asked insensitively. Avery whimpered softly and pressed herself closer to her dads chest.  
"Collin." Tony snapped at his twelve year old son. The cocky kid put his hands up in defense then dropped back into the barstool, returning to the game he was playing on his iPad. Aleks and TJ only looked at each other, respectfully looking away from their cousin. TJ squeezed his wife's hand and threw his arm over her shoulders, dragging her closer to his body.  
"What happened, princess?" Tony asked his daughter quietly, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.  
"Phil." She whimpered. Aleks tensed and TJ tightened his arm around her to keep her from moving.  
"What about him Avery?" Tony prodded. Avery inhaled shakily.  
"I woke up and he was gone and he kept punching the...the punching bag and I couldn't get him to stop and he was crying and I had to splint his hand cuz he broke it and then he fell asleep but Tasha came and he pulled a knife on me and threw up and Tasha kicked me out." she ranted breathlessly. Tony nodded slowly.  
"Did he hurt you, baby?" The billionaire asked immediately.  
"No!" Avery shouted defensively. Aleks was crushing TJs hand out of worry for her baby brother. TJ pressed a kiss to her temple then pulled away slightly, breathing evenly against her skin.  
"Avie, calm down." Tony said coolly as he smoothed her hair back. Avery leaned away from her dad, glaring angrily.  
"Don't tell me to calm down!" She hissed and began pounding her fists against her dads chest.  
"Avery!" He called sharply, grabbing her wrists. "Stop it, honey. Before you hurt yourself." He pleaded calmly as she pulled at his unrelenting grasp.  
"Me and Aleks daddy!" She cried, suddenly giving up. Aleks' eyes hardened as she listened to her cousin. "It was about Aleks an I. His nightmare." She got quiet and Aleks was standing before TJ could stop her. The twenty seven year old girl sat down on the couch next to her uncle and Avery.  
"Did we die?" She asked darkly, staring at her hands. Avery looked at Aleks and nodded weakly. "His fault?" Avery nodded again. Aleks winced and dropped her head in her hands. "He in his room?"  
"Auntie Tasha knocked him out." She replied. Aleks gave Avery a small appreciative smile and stood off the couch. "I'm sorry Leksi." She added silently. Aleks' head whipped around to stare at her cousin in surprise.  
"For what?" The older red head arched an eyebrow.  
"I couldn't help him and he got hurt. So I'm sorry." Tony, TJ and Collin looked at each other with matching grimaces - Avery would always be a little girl in need of protection an for the boys in he family, hearing her be ashamed of herself and not saying a thing to contradict her was one of the hardest things to expect of them. But she was a big girl and some times they needed to take a step back.  
"Ave." Aleks sighed and smiled sadly. She crouched down in front of the couch and wrapped her arms around Avery.  
"Thank you, kid." Aleks whispered as the two girls hugged. "Thank you for taking care of him." She continued before standing and running down the hallway to her baby brothers room.  
Avery slumped back against her dad as Aleks ran out. Collin cleared his throat to end the awkward silence.  
"Where's everyone, anyway?" He asked loudly. He blinked back the worry for his older sister - he had a reputation to uphold after all. Tony sighed and allowed the subject changed.  
"Well first of all, kid..." TJ smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Jamie's in the lab with Bruce, Steve and Hayley." The twenty nine year old Stark grinned cockily at the blush that crept across his little brothers face. Avery giggled.  
"I wasn't asking about her." He defended immediately. "Wait." He stiffened slightly and slid off the barstool. TJ looked down at his dads glare. "Why's she in the lab?" The kid asked cautiously.  
"DNA recovery study." The dad answered reluctantly. Collin blinked dumbly. "They're trying to figure out whether or not her being sick all week has anything to do with Uncle Steve's DNA in her body." He explained gently. Collin paled.  
"Oh." He muttered quietly. TJ sighed guiltily.  
"She's fine, bud. This is Bruce. He wouldn't let anything happen to her." TJ assured him. Collin nodded and glanced at the door.  
"Go buddy." Tony said. Without hesitation Collin was abandoning his iPad on the table, running into the elevator and hitting the button for the lab.  
TJ sighed and looked at his sister and father. Tony lifted Avery off his lap and nodded at TJ who immediately came to sit beside her.  
"Mom needs me at work for some stupid interview." Tony Stark rolled his eyes, grabbed his sunglasses and cars keys off the counter, and held up two fingers in a peace sign over his shoulder.  
"Bye dad." The two oldest Stark kids called as the elevator door closed behind him.  
"Avie." TJ started. Avery sighed an leaned into her big brother. "You did help him, you know." He promised, squeezing her shoulder. She blinked back welling tears.  
"No I didn't." She denied weakly. "He broke his hand TJ." Her voice broke.  
"It could've been so much worse, Avery. I've been where he is. I've lost it like that. Twice." He stiffened slightly and Avery looked up at his face. "Once when Aleks was home. I dislocated my shoulder and got sick a couple times but I was ok after Aleks found me. Or at least I was after a while." He swallowed thickly and Avery grabbed his hand. "But the second time, when she was in Brooklyn with uncle Steve it was so much worse, kid. Erik found me before I could..." He hesitated for second. "Before I could go through with anything." Avery gasped quietly but he ignored her. "You kept him sane, baby sis, I can promise you that much." He finished. Avery sighed and stretched up to kiss his cheek, letting the subject go.  
"Hey TJ?" She sang mischievously. He arched an eyebrow. "Will you finish Safe Haven with me?" Avery batted her eyelashes. TJ sighed softy and nodded, kissing the top of her head as Jarvis cued up the movie.  
Collin slipped out of the elevator, bodily flinching at Jamie's soft cries of pain that were naturally echoed by Steve's low words of comfort.  
"Collin?" His aunt Hayley's voice sounded slightly hoarse, jogging him out of his panicked trance.  
"Hey." The twelve year old replied simply.  
"Hey Collin." James' pained voice called. He glanced over at her and winced again.  
James Rogers sat on the edge of a metal examination table in nothing but blue shorts and a red sports bra. There were countless tubes in her arms and a disturbing amount of vials on the counter filled with her blood.  
He bit the inside of his cheek to keep the worry off his face; he was Starks son, he didn't do this emotion stuff.  
"Hey Beautiful." He winked. Steve looked at his daughters crush with sympathy - the poor kids voice had cracked. James rolled her eyes half heartedly.  
"Just a few more tests, James." Bruce interrupted. Hayley covered her face and pained guilt mounted in Steve's blue eyes. This was his DNA causing James pain.  
Jamie nodded, swallowing nervously. She grabbed her dads hand and squeezed it as hard as she could. Hayley turned away as Bruce brought the needle towards her daughters arm.  
"Collin." Jamie whimpered. Collin blinked his vision back into focus and looked at her.  
"Yeah?" He said quietly. She stared at him hopefully until he walked over to her. Collin stood behind her with hands on his ten year old best friend's shoulders as Bruce took her arm in his hand, inserting the tip of the relatively large needle into the skin inside her elbow. She squeaked and leaned back into Collin. He held her still and instinctively kissed the top of her head, blushing bright red when Steve looked at him.  
"I'm finished, James." Bruce smiled and kissed his nieces forehead. "You did great."  
"Thanks uncle Bruce." She mumbled drowsily. Collin wrapped his arms around James as she swayed where she sat. Hayley turned back around to look at the members of her family just as Bruce began emptying James' blood into another vial. The mom paled further and suddenly ran from the lab. Steve looked frantically between the door and his young daughter who looked as though she was going to pass out any second.  
"I've got her." Collin nodded. Steve nodded sharply and ran out after his wife. Bruce looked at the two youngest family members with a small smirk until James started to list forward. Collin wrapped one arm around her abdomen, the other around her shoulders with his hand holding her head to his chest.  
"Get some food in her then get her off her feet. Can you carry her or do you need me to come?" The older man asked. Collin nodded even as he lifted his blonde best friend off the table, picking up her far too light body.  
"I've got her. But uncle Bruce?" He asked vulnerably. The doctor sighed.  
"Im going to do everything in my power to recreate the serum for her Collin." He promised.  
"So...she is reverting." He asked, looking at James closed eyes. Bruce nodded solemnly, eyes drifting to the vials of blood.  
"Ok." Collin replied simply, carrying James into the elevator. It jerked up and Jamie's eyes opened. "Hey hot stuff." He smirked weakly.  
"Collin." She chastised, putting her palm on his chest. He sighed, face falling a little.  
"Heard Bruce. Don't worry." She mumbled. The elevator doors slid open and Collin carried her across the living room floor.  
"Then you also heard him say I'm in charge of getting you food." He smirked cockily. James smiled widely and let him deflect from the issue they'd have to talk about eventually.  
"Put me down." She ordered. Collin huffed at her "Captain Voice" and set her down, holding onto her as she wavered on her feet.  
"Yes ma'am." He muttered mockingly.  
"That's Captain to you." She replied, voice strained. "Shirt?" She asked, voice starting to slur again as she held onto his forearm. He glanced down at his Hammertime Thor tee shirt and suddenly realized she was still standing there in barely anything. He opened his mouth to make an undoubtedly suggestive comment but then he saw her pale and slightly sick countenance and just shrugged out of his shirt, pulling it down over her head. She smiled thankfully and he kissed her forehead before disappearing into the kitchen to make her something that would undoubtedly have a sinful amount of sugar in it.  
"That looks gross." A quiet voice noted from behind him. He smirked as he sprayed whip cream on an ice cream cookie sandwich. James pushed off the counter as Collin turned to give the plate to her.  
But then her vision was going black and the room was spinning.  
"James!" Collin shouted as she started to collapse. The plate shattered on the floor as he lunged to catch her. Her body fell into his arms as she completely collapsed. "God, James." He growled. She hummed sleepily. "You scared the crap out of me." He muttered lowly.  
"S'rry." She replied, kissing his cheek before she passed out. Once she was completely unconscious, Collin lightly kissed her lips.

"I know." He sighed, picking her up again and carrying her to the couch.

NEXT CHAPTER ALREADY WRITTEN, REVIEW AND I'LL POST IT.


	3. Chapter 3

Aleks eased Phil's bedroom door open and shut it softly behind her, walking across the room to his bathroom.

"Мама." Aleks called quietly. Natasha didn't lift her head away from the wall as she grunted softly in acknowledgment. "How is he?" She asked, biting her lip as she slid down to the floor beside her mom and brother.

"Been out since Ave calmed him down." The Russian replied emotionlessly. Aleks deliberately reached out and closed her hand over her mom's, pulling her pale hand away from her son's body and then sliding him from Natasha's lap to her own. Natasha sat still for another moment, hardly even acknowledging Aleks had moved Phil.

"Mom. Go." Aleks muttered quietly. Natasha glanced at her quickly and nodded sharply before standing up.

"You alright with him?" she asked. Aleks nodded confidently and then watched her mom leave the bathroom. Phil's bedroom door shut loudly, waking him up almost immediately.

"Shh, bud. Just me." Aleks murmured, smoothing his bangs back away from his face. His tense body stiffened even further in Aleks' arms until he recognized the familiar embrace of his older sister. He finally relaxed into her and grabbed a fistful of the hem of her shirt. "Phil." she warned calmly. "Deep breath."

"I know." he replied sharply. "I'm okay." he amended. Aleks nodded and maintained her hold on her baby brother. "You can let go of me, Leks." he muttered, letting go of her shirt. She sighed and pulled her arms away from him, letting him move himself off of her lap.

He sat down beside her, keeping quiet. He didn't say anything and she didn't press him. Not for several minutes at least.

"Are we going to talk about this Phil?" she asked softly. He gritted his teeth and glared a hole into his sweaty palms.

"No." he snapped shortly. She arched an eyebrow and looked at her still exhausted brother.

"Phil." she chided.

"I said no, Aleks." he repeated firmly. She sighed and nodded once, weakly lifting one hand in surrender. Phillip winced guiltily and turned his head to apologize to his sister. "Aleks." he started quietly. "I..." a loud clap of thunder overhead the tower cut him off before he could get past the second word.

"It's fine." Aleks dismissed the unnecessary apology and stood up, holding a hand out to her teenage brother.

"Aleks." he insisted, taking the hand and allowing her to pull him off the tile floor.

"Thor's back." she said instead, ignoring his unwanted apology. Phil sighed and let it go, pushing open the frosted glass bathroom door and ushering her out ahead of him. Aleks nodded her thanks and led the way out of the wash room and into the hallway. Both Barton kids were instantly met with the sight of Steve with his arm around Hayley, both leaning against the back of the couch, staring intently at the elevator and waiting for their resident Thunder God to appear. Bruce seated at the bar with a book open in his hands and glasses sliding down his nose. Collin leading James down the stair case with one of her arms pulled over his shoulder and her pale body looking small in comparison to his. TJ holding a sleeping Avery in his lap, slowly combing through her strawberry blond hair. And Natasha leaning rigidly against the wall. Aleks squeezed her brother's shoulder before making her way to the couch where her husband and sister in law sat, hesitantly sitting on the arm of the couch. TJ positioned his body so Avery was leaning against his chest, leaving one hand free to rest on Aleks' thigh. She covered his hand with hers and stared intently at the elevator along with everyone else. Phil had chosen to gravitate towards his uncle Steve, flinching a little under the heavy hand that came down on his back. Steve's stare had moved from watching the elevator doors to studying his sick looking daughter who was currently being lifted onto the kitchen counter by Collin Stark. Steve couldn't help but smile a little at the ten year olds protectiveness over the Captain's daughter when Collin left his steadying hands around her waist.

The elevator doors dinged and slid open, revealing not only the four people they had expected but three others as well.

The room was suddenly on edge; Steve transitioning to his Captain mode, stiffening and taking a protective step forward so that he was slightly in front of Hayley and Phil. Bruce stood off of his stool, removing his glasses and setting them on the granite counter top. TJ shook Avery awake and set her down on the couch, pulling Aleks down beside her before getting up and positioning himself in front of them protectively. Natasha's posture didn't shift in the slightest save for her eyes that hardened significantly.

"Stand down, my friends. My brother is no threat to you." Thor spoke calmly, propelling his sixteen year old children out of the elevator in front of him. Mja immediately moved in the general direction of the kitchen, looking back and forth between Collin and James with worried eyes. Erik just moved to stand beside Phil, silent as he always was. Thor kissed the back of Jane's hand and motioned her forward. Jane sighed and walked forward, sitting on the back of the couch next to Hayley.

"Why would you bring him here?" Steve asked tightly, glaring angrily at the God of Mischief standing in their elevator.

Loki angled his body so that he was shielding both women from the murderous stares he was receiving.

"Captain, this is my brother. Loki. His wife, Darcy Lewis. And their child, Skye Lokidottir." Thor introduced them slowly.

"Ma'am." Steve nodded politely at Darcy. "Miss." he tipped his head in Skye's general direction.

"It's okay, love. They know me. They aren't going to hurt me." Darcy whispered reassuringly. Loki didn't move. Only continued to glare at those glaring at him. "Move it, Mischief." the older girl snapped when her husband didn't move out of the way. Loki growled under his breath and side stepped so that he was completely shielding his daughter, leaving Darcy unprotected.

"Dad." Skye huffed, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.

"Loki. They aren't going to attack her." Darcy rolled her gold eyes, laughing a little when she realized how alike she and her daughter must've seemed right then.

"I'm not convinced." Loki growled. Darcy rolled her eyes again and shoved past him, pulling Skye along behind her. Phil glanced at Erik to greet one of his better friends in the family only to find him completely and one hundred percent distracted. Phillip followed the blonde boy's stare and was met with the sight of the admittedly beautiful God of Mischief daughter. She was relatively short with dark brunette hair that fell in waves down her back, she was really actually gorgeous now that Phillip looked at her for the first time but it was Skylar's eyes that really got him. They were deep emerald green like Loki's but flecked with gold that mesmerized even him. It wasn't until he forced himself to remember he was taken and that Erik was obviously interested in her that he snapped out of his daze and refocused.

"Dude." He hissed. Erik's eyes reluctantly dragged away from Skye to meet Phil's. "That's your cousin." He muttered.

"Not by blood. My uncle was adopted remember." Erik defended himself irritably before looking back at Skye.

"Still gross, man."

**REVIEW:-)**


End file.
